Faith, do YOU have it?

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Grace

I would like to talk about Faith, what is faith? I hear many speak of faith as being a substance of sorts. In the book of Hebrews 11:1 it states, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Many people like to use the word substance, personally, I do not because implies it is something of substance as if it had uniform physical properties like matter.

THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

I don’t understand it that way because the word used hupostasis, this same word is used in II Corinthians 9:4, II Corinthians 11:17, Hebrews 3:14, and Hebrews 11:1 We as true believers have a steadfastness, a confidence an assurance, it is heavenly not earthly. It is much more consistent, this same word in usage throughout these scriptures. So faith is an assurance and confidence without any need of any evidence or miracle!

Your belief is a true belief because you have true faith! Faith is a result of God’s grace of election! Without election, there is no true saving faith, there is no true belief without a true gift of saving faith. When you have true faith, you will believe truly.

Belief in Jesus is not enough, that may sound strange to you, but it’s true, for even the demons in James 2:19 believed who Jesus was, but they did NOT believe in Jesus. It goes further and states these very same demons trembled!

I pray our Lord grants you by grace this gift of faith that you may believe truly, amen.

Last Thoughts On Faith

The nature of saving faith isn’t a mere belief, this is insufficient, one must have a genuine faith that recognizes Jesus as God, Savior, and Lord.

This faith isn’t natural, it isn’t experienced, it is heavenly. This faith gift is given to the elect, enabling believers to truly understand and commit to Jesus.

It is distinguished from intellectual assent and is characterized by loyalty, sincerity, and conviction. This faith, as described in Hebrews 11:1, it states it is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen, it is a supernatural gift from God that does not require proof or evidence.

There are three components to a true saving faith the first one would be knowledge that’s the intellectual element of it to understand the truth or the gospel. The second Is assent that’s the emotional part of it the heart of it right your heart is drawn to what your head just learned your knowledge. Thirdly, you have trust, that’s the volitional element of it when you make your commitment.

Real faith involves all of these three the mind understands, the emotions are drawn, and the will makes the choice. All three are present. I hope this helps.

Everlasting Hell

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: sovereignty, Theology

Hell is in isolation and the absence of God and others Matthew 25:41, rather than the traditional imagery of collective torment and suffering. It’s a more internalized and solitary form of suffering, I see it more the absence of divine and human connection. Luke 16 gives the idea of the rich man and Lazarus.

THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

Suffering and torment in Hell are beyond human comprehension, making it an even more intense and unfathomable experience. God is present everywhere Psalm 139:8, but those in Hell are unable to feel His presence. The torment comes from this profound disconnection from God, despite His omnipresence His comfort and presence is with held, this with holding further intensifies the concept of isolation and suffering in eternal Hell.

Hell is eternal, not temporary. The idea of Hell being everlasting adds to the gravity of the suffering and isolation, making it a perpetual state with no end. Matthew 25:41 This aspect underscores the seriousness of the consequence. There’s no remedy or escape from Hell, it is irreversible 2 Thessalonians 1:9, which adds to its severity.

Regardless of weather we think of hell as a literal or metaphorical fire, brings no comfort! Let’s not think they are merely symbols, and should you, you should find no relief because the reality of hell, it’s intensity is greater than the mere symbol of it. To the damned in hell, the presence of God is a consuming fire! It is just because our Lord is just.

This underscores the eternality and seriousness of hell.

Joshua 24:15

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Faith, Grace, sovereignty
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

This verse does NOT say nor implies that mankind has a “free will “, it does however mention something NOT being addressed. What do you do with other “gods”. Are we to assume then that there ARE other gods? He said choose this day is a command, a command does NOT IMPLY any sort of universal ability, a command is a command, and they were called to serve God or other gods freely, and they did, they were NOT forced. I believe a remnant were and are faithful but the most are not faithful as we discover in Judges, they went on to worship the Canaanites false gods and were worse. 

We MUST admit that there is a REVEALED will of YHWH and a HIDDEN/ SECRET will of YHWH. Deuteronomy 29:29.  

If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.

Joshua 24:5

Both sides of the fence in articles 1 & 4 acknowledge total inability but one ADDS a so-called PREvenient grace, where is that in scriptures? 

I see it like this, Joshua wasn’t able to bring them out of bondage but our Jesus being greater than Joshua is able to and has brought us out of bondage. YHWH makes us willing and thus we are given the ability to choose to obey and choose. Some will, some will NOT we don’t know which are able to, except and only after the command given reveals those who have this ability or are deficient. If you’re looking for fairness of YHWH He doesn’t work in the way of fairness. He is Holy and works all things according to council of His will. 

Scripture teaches that we choose. In Hebrews 11:24-26, Moses is said to have made a choice: “By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” 

Do all people have faith? We are given the gift of faith to serve along with Gods people choosing freely we are not forced. Without faith it IS impossible and those without faith will and never choose to obey. Both choose willingly freely. 

This is NOT a refutation or a debate but just my understanding of what I believe scripture teaches. No one seeks after God. If God gives ability to you the person you will inevitably come to Him, serve Him and obey Him faithfully. We are sustained and persevere by YHWH.  

James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

Our Glorification

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Faith, Grace, Theology

Will We Be Recognized?

THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

You heard it said, “be the better version of yourself” right? Well, there’s some truth to that statement but not in the way that you might think. As believers we one day will be just that, we call that state glorification.

I’ve had discussions with brothers and the topic of glorification always comes up and the question I’m always asked is this, “will we recognize each other?”. “Are we going to appear as we look in this current state?”. Well according to the scriptures it does say in the Book of John 20:16, that we will be recognizable as ourselves. Inverse 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!”.

Another wrong assumption by many is that we will be disembodied spirits in eternity. Will we have the same names in heaven as we do here on earth? The answer to those questions is yes not only that but our bodies will be indestructible are glorified body will be permanent and indestructible.1 Corinthians 15:22-23, Philippians 3:20-21.

Freed From Sin

Our bodies will no longer be vulnerable or under the corruption of sins curse Romans 6:8-9. 1 Corinthians 15:42 Just like Jesus Christ, our bodies will be eternally sustained by resurrected life. We will be able to serve our Lord without worry, anxiety, and the limitations of time. We will not have any fear of injury or threat, just righteous boldness to accomplish everything the Lord has given us.

Imagine a life free from disease, deterioration, temptations, and depravity these will no longer plague our outlook on our living. We will never get over the experience and joy of metabolic perfection throughout eternity!

Clothed in White Garments

We will be clothed in white shining robes, The glorious clothing of triumphal joy. Just as the resurrection of Christ and his appearance in the transfiguration we will be like Jesus in our resurrected bodies We will be adorned with robes of splendor. Matthew 17:2.

Sons Of The Resurrection

Lastly, we will be a part of the “sons of the resurrection” who like the angels and “sons of God” cannot die! The celestial Life will be without existence of physical or spiritual death. Heaven will lose no one and no one will need to be replaced. Everlasting life, amen.

Adam and Eve

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Grace, sovereignty

Saved or Not Saved, that is The Question

THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

In the book of Genesis chapter 3 we read YHWH saying, “…and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15. Let me first come out and say I believe our first parents Adam and Eve are SAVED in with our Lord because they died in faith. In a short conversation I had mentioned that Adam named his wife Eve, her name means “Life”, she is the mother of all the living. Adam honored his wife by calling her Eve. Adam could have called her another name meaning the opposite but he didn’t, he named her Eve which leads me to believe Adam had to believe in the mercy of YHWH because of what YHWH said in Genesis 3:15.

That very day they both ate of the fruit they died spiritually and started to die physically by decay. YHWH could have destroyed them both, but He didn’t, He showed mercy by allowing to live.

It Has Always Been Grace

Immediately what do we see? We see YHWH giving them a covering, not just a covering to protect them from the environment but a covering, an atoning covering. Later we see these animal skin sacrifices in Numbers 4:6, Leviticus 4:11 just to name a couple. These sacrifices served as a foreshadow of the One perfect and final sacrifice for the true covering of atonement for the redeemed.

After Being Cast Out of the Garden

We see by example that Their children in Cain and Able, they offered sacrifices to YHWH which tells me that Adam must have taught them to do so. Genesis 4:3-4 So it happened in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering.

Adam in the Lineage and What About Eve?

I want to close this with this one last point, Adam is included in the lineage as head to those redeemed up to Joseph! Adam is not only head of the fallen race but also of the redeemed race. He is not numbered under the cursed of Cain but of the redeemed of Able. Eve had a faith just by seeing the names she named their children. Enough of the subject for now. Hope this helps. Blessings.

To Know God

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Grace, sovereignty, Theology
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

It is important to know God because He is the One who created us. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than ours so says the book of Isaiah 55:8–9. Our faith as Christians is a religion of revelation, and, Yahweh is a God who reveals himself through His Word. Sometimes we may not experience God in our darkest moments as if He was distant or maybe even not involved, but He hasn’t left us.

God makes Himself known to mankind in two ways. The first is general revelation or natural revelation Romans 1:20. It’s just a basic knowledge of who God is, His expression in all of his works. Through His creation we see a reflection of something of Himself, no created reflection is exactly like our God. The other way that God reveals Himself is through what we call special revelation II Timothy 3:15. This is where we see God through the Holy Scriptures, we read the story of how God condescended to our level as a man the incarnation of The Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Isaiah 9:6

I have spoken with some brothers about not being known by God, and they would say that only applies to false prophets those who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they’re like ravenous wolves. My response is this, yes, it applies to them of that time, but not them only, it applies to a future age, our age. It says in there not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not done this or that, and then He will declare to them, “I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness”. Matthew 7:21-23 Mankind has been practicing lawlessness since the beginning of time after the fall, it hasn’t stopped since then so, it is applicable in this age. Genesis 6:5;Jeremiah 17:9-10

To Be Known By God

To know God, or to know of God is important for sure, but to be known by God is even more important. God knows us much better than we know ourselves Jeremiah 1:5 He knows our thoughts, our past, present, and our future there is nothing that can surprise Him. Psalm 139: 1-2. He knows it all! in spite of what he knows about us, he loves us deeply, and took upon himself the consequences of our sinfulness our failures upon himself and secured us. John 3:16.

I believe it is equally, if not more important, not only to know, God, but to be known of God, that is where the relationship is. He knows us intimately, He knew us before we were born. We know Him through His Word, intimately, and one day we will know Him fully just as He has always known us fully, this is a holy righteous and eternal relationship. Secured in Him. Romans 8:38-39. Blessings.

Is Your Profession of Faith True?

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Faith, Grace, sovereignty, Theology
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

When we engage with others who profess faith in Jesus most of us take it for granted that it’s genuine. A sincerer profession may be true but a sincere profession does not equate to a genuine confession. Your profession of faith is contingent on your understanding of who Jesus is.

When Jesus was talking to His disciples He asked them “who do they say that The Son of man is?” Matthew 5 16:13 & 17. Later on Jesus directly asks Peter the same question “But who do you say that I am?”, Peter then responds, “You are the Christ, The Son of the living God.”. later we see that Jesus say, “flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven….”.

Jesus has claimed His being in John 8:58, Colossians 2:9, Isaiah 7:14. There are many other verses that confirm His being and who He is but for now this will suffice. The name Immanuel is literally “God with us” or “with us is God”.

Who Accepts Who?

When we engage with other professing “believers” and they say that They’ve “accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior” it rarely gets questioned and passed over. In John 15:16 Jesus said “I chose you”. He chose and appointed them at that time to bare fruit and in this age He has appointed us to bare fruit. Jesus is the one who accepts a repentant sinner upon confession and It is the sinner who receives forgiveness…Jesus is the one who does the accepting.

Your Faith Is Only Valid If The Object Of Faith Is Valid.

What is a valid faith? What does that mean? It means exactly what it sounds like. If the faith that you place is on any other Jesus then what has not been revealed in scripture, is not faith. It is not a dead faith it is no faith at all. Proverbs 3:5-6 , Hebrews 11:6. People say they know Jesus or know of Jesus, the first being Fiducia referring to personal trust and reliance and the other refers to an Assensus referring to a knowing of the content of the faith and yet not believing it to be true. Blessings and hope this clears some things for you.

I AM … e’heyeh aser’ e’heyeh

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Grace, omnipotence, Theology
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

These words spoken by Jesus weren’t spoken in general terms, it was spoken in specificity, He was speaking in present tense, in absoluteness, in being. We can even say that He was speaking as the first cause of all. The I AM phrase itself isn’t an uncommon phrase that was used in communicating, it’s very much like saying “I am” watching these animals over there or “I am” the parent of this child or “I am” doing this at the moment but when Jesus said it, He said it as a STAND ALONE “I AM”, it wasn’t attached to anything else it was communicated as self being or an immediate presence, no contingencies outside of Himself! This is why the Jews got angry at Him. If you read Exodus 3:14 where Hashem speaks to Moshe and says “I AM has sent me to you” is used the same way Jesus said it in John 8:58.

This is just meant to be a short article, not exhaustive. I hope it makes sense I will go into a greater detail at some point in time. Thank you and Shalom.

The Light, Life, and Kingdom

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Faith, Grace, Theology
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

I was thinking the other day of the Light that is in the world. This reference is found in John 1:4-5. This is not a lengthy explanation but hopefully a concise explanation. It reads, “In Him was life (Zoe: This word is used of the one who gives life, a life pertaining to the kingdom of Yahweh and ultimately the glorified life.), and the life (Zoe) was the Light (Phos: This word speaks of the presence of the divine Glory. This Light gives illumination, spiritual sight, truth.) of men. The Light (Phos) shines in the darkness (Skotia: This word speaks of spiritual blindness.) and the darkness did not comprehend it. Let’s look at Luke 17:21.

Jesus was standing in front of the Pharisees and explaining to them that the Kingdom was in their midst and that the “Kingdom” was not coming with signs. When our Lord came, He came humbly on a donkey as King! Mark 11:1-11, a King with a heavenly kingdom! Another example is when He speaks to Martha about Lazarus being resurrected John 11:25-27, she didn’t understand, she didn’t see that Jesus is the resurrection. If you read the story He acted in this way for their good so that they would believe.

Jesus is referenced in these short examples as THE KINGDOM, THE LIGHT, THE LIFE and THE RESURRECTION, of course there is the other referencing Him as THE WAY John 14:6! The Pharisees were in darkness. The Pharisees couldn’t see the Light, they were incapable to see Him as the Kingdom in their midst. They expected this King to come like an earthly king dressed in array but Jesus came as a humble servant.

The descriptions afor mentioned are of the person Jesus The King, The Way, Truth, and The Life!

Election and You

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness Category: Faith, Grace
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

The doctrine of election is no easy truth to swallow, it can be a very uneasy truth. It is a truth that tells us that Yahweh determined on whom He bestowed His grace of election Romans 8:29. He acts independently, He acts definitively, according to His nature and for His good pleasure and glory! Isaiah 40:14-13, Philippians 2:13

There are those who mistakenly believe that Yahweh acts and responds on foreknowledge. If you think about that for bit you should realize that if this were the case then, He would be basing His actions on the will of man and not based on His Sovereign will. When we read The Gospel of John it says Yahweh acts by His own will and not the will of man. John 1:12 – 1:13

Election is revealed in all of scripture. The nation of Israel was not the only recipient in Scripture of God’s electing choice. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called Christ, “My Chosen One” (Luke 9:35). The church is a community of those who were chosen, or “elect” (Ephesians 1:4).

The doctrine of election conflicts with the dictates of the carnal mind. It is repugnant to the sentiments of the unregenerate heart. And like the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the miraculous birth of our Savior, the truth of election, because it has been revealed by God, must be embraced with simple and unquestioning faith. (John Macarthur).

Yes, He decides and determined of every man’s destiny, and the controller of every detail in each individual’s life. Whether it is a vessel unto honor or a vassal unto dishonor Romans 9:18-22.

I’ll close with this, on this side of eternity we will not wholly comprehend this truth, but we likewise shouldn’t disregard this truth. It is a loving God who ordained to save at all a remnant. My hope and prayer are, you are drawn and called by name and elected unto salvation. John 6:44